I've got a little quiz for you:

It is easy. Just see if you can fill in the blank with the right word or phrase.

Ready? Here we go… This is a quote by Elder Neal A. Maxwell.

"Truly, of all the errors mortals could make, _________________________ is the wrong thing to be wrong about!  No error could be more enormous or more everlasting in its consequences!"

So what do you think?
What is the wrong thing to be wrong about?
What error couldn't be more enormous or everlasting?

Jot your answers down…. and be brave and share some of your answers in your comments below…. 🙂

Then ask your kids what they think. And your spouse. And your mailman.

Ok… lets see what Elder Maxwell said:

"Truly, of all the errors mortals could make, God's plan of salvation is the wrong thing to be wrong about!
No error could be more enormous or more everlasting in its consequences!
No wonder this Church and its people go to such great lengths and expense to share the fulness of the gospel concerning this plan.
No wonder the Lord wants the plan taught plainly and repetitively." (Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Ensign, May 1984)

Isn't that a GREAT quote? So how did you do? Whether you got the right phrasing or not, a lot of answers are integral parts of the Plan, so you could argue some of your answers were right, or partly right. In any case… the quote teaches a profound thing.

Have you ever tried to draw another faith's Plan?

What Plan does Hinduism teach, Catholicism, or even Atheism? What would it look like on paper? What truths do they teach, and where have they missed some really important doctrines? And why would those mistakes have some everlasting consequences?

It is clear in the Proclamation to the World on the Family, that a clear understanding of God's Plan of Salvation is crucial to being able to comprehend the full doctrine of the family. It refers over and over to elements of the Plan. So it stands to reason, that the more we understand the individual doctrines of the Plan the more we will understand the importance of the family. Doctrine makes things clearer and gives us courage to act.

So here is a little idea on how to help you and your family dive deep into the Plan of Salvation.

I took a large piece of paper.  You could do this on a poster board, some butcher paper or in your scripture journals.

Then I just did a really basic drawing of the Plan of salvation.

Then I just started studying each element of the plan and writing down what the scriptures taught me.

Here you can see what I pulled out of Moses 4:1-4

Just go to your Index or Topical Guide and look up all the scriptures you can on the topic.

You could also go to lds.org and find quotes that help give additional insights.

Like this one that I LOVE about the Premortal Life:

"Such longing for a heavenly home is real, especially in view of how this life is designed. After all, brothers and sisters, when we rejoice in beautiful scenery, great art, and great music, it is but the flexing of instincts acquired in another place and another time."

(Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Ensign, May 1984)

Then just continue to go through each element of the plan adding more and more doctrine as you go.

This could take several Family Home Evenings to do, or several family scripture studies.

And naturally, as you study, questions will arise and you will have lots of teaching moments as your family searches for understanding.

And just like always, as we fill our conversations with pure doctrine, we give the Spirit a lot of chances to testify to our spirits and then… we are never the same.

And just in case you are looking for something a little more kid-friendly… here is something I made awhile back:

Go here for more instructions.

But whatever we do…

No effort to understand this Plan will go wasted.  It is time well spent.

See our amazing Plan of Salvation Illustrated PDF printable HERE.